The present invention relates to a marking head for cold stamping symbols such as letters, numbers, or the like on a metallic surface.
The simplest way for cold stamping symbols on a metallic surface is to take a punch provided at its bottom face with the desired symbol and hit the top face of the punch with a hammer. This manner of cold stamping symbols onto a metallic surface has, however, various disadvantages in that it is difficult to provide in every case the same hammer blow and to align the punch properly with respect to the metallic surface to be stamped. Therefore, different tools have been developed for carrying out cold stamping of symbols on a metallic surface in a more efficient and rapid manner.
An automatic striking apparatus is known which uses a sliding plunger, forming the hammer and which is acted upon by a spring during use of the apparatus. The use of this apparatus is, however, limited since if the spring is calibrated to provide the necessary force for cold stamping relatively soft metals or alloys, it will not have the ncessary force to properly act on steel or hard alloy surfaces. In such a case apparatus is used which is equipped with jacks operating levers and arranged to act on stronger springs, but this apparatus is rather cumbersome. Other apparatus for this purpose are also known in the art, but all of the same are difficult to operate, while not providing a perfect stamping of symbols on metallic surfaces of different hardness.